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Harvey woman coaches at national Special Olympics meet

Janice Dwyer

Janice Dwyer, a Jefferson Parish physical education teacher stands on the West Jefferson High School track with 29-year-old Kiet Ly. Ly proudly wears medals he won as a bowler at this year's National Special Olympics held June 14 in New Jersey. Dwyer coached a team of male and female track athletes for the competition.

Janice Dwyer of Harvey recently hit the field in New Jersey with some of the fastest, strongest and competitive athletes in Louisiana, all with their eyes on bringing home a medal. When school starts in a few weeks, Dwyer has a treasured experience to share with her students.

"It's all about independence and inclusion," Dwyer said.

Dwyer was one of an elite group of trained and certified Special Olympics coaches handpicked by a selection board to lead a diverse team of special athletes at the national event, held every four years. Dwyer's passion for working with people who have physical and intellectual disabilities comes from a personal experience.

"My younger sister was born deaf and I think that's how I developed the patience to deal with a child with special needs," Dwyer said.

Last November hundreds of Louisiana disabled athletes who qualified for the national Special Olympics, spent five days competing in Pineville. The winners of the state competition were evaluated and selected based on their athleticism and level of maturity. In an effort to challenge their mental and athletic endurance, the athletes were paired with various coaches and team members.

"We have to make sure the athletes can make it without parents or familiar coaches," Dwyer said.

More than a dozen who made the final cut boarded planes out of New Orleans headed to New Jersey.

"It was a unique experience for them because a lot of the athletes had never been on a plane or out of the state," Dwyer said. Like her students, Dwyer was just as overjoyed and motivated in New Jersey at the site of thousands of opponents from around the country. "A lot of kids who are special have never been exposed to things because a lot of playgrounds and parks don't have programs for them," Dwyer said.

The goal of each athlete is of course to win medals in team or individual sports, a sign of risks and rewards confirming skills and courage to overcome obstacles. Dwyer plans to keep the momentum flowing in preparation for the Special Olympics World Games in 2015. There's no guarantee Dwyer will make the roster next year but she's determined to coach winning potential in her students.

"I want to continue showing the athletes they can be part of a team and part of a group," Dwyer said.

The national Special Olympics Summer Games take place every four years in different host cities. The event draws tens of thousands of fans, major sponsors and international media outlets. Eunice Kennedy Shriver organized the first International Special Olympics Games in 1968.